The 2011 Welsh Ride Thing is GO!

You certainly have!

but only if you twig to change the URL 😉

2 in a row…… 🙂

Horrible road climb on the way to Pennal though Tiger. Mind the maniacs in cars! 😯

Horrible road climb on the way to Pennal though Tiger.

back of me hand 🙂

my route goes from 20m to 633m in 4.7km

Which is why I’m going through the forest 😕

Anybody going off piste and planning on hike a bike to go a bit more as the crow flies?

Thought I’d share a bit of local folklore about the area just North of the Dyfi Bridge. If you choose to do the climb on Sustrans Route 8 the cottage on the right is where Led Zep wrote and rehearsed Led Zep III. Bron Y Aur stomp and all that. Its a swine of a climb but if you go straight on at the T junction at the top there is an overgrown track that leads to Pantyspyddyd and then up some more until it clears at the old mine workings, this will get you onto the ridge. Me, I,m with Tiger, the climb from Pennal is much better despite the main road slog.

Oh yes Pistonbroke that climb is proper. There’s some very interesting stuff (but a bit cheeky) if you scout around at the big fireroad junction after the climb.

Just a quick last minute check, is the wind farm (North of the start) accesible?

Yep, I’ve spent many happy hours round there with the Mach lads before they moved on to bigger and better things in the Dyfi, I organised a TQ from Bro Dyfi in 2001 which used a lot of the going in Pantperthog but it’s changed a bit since then with the felling.

sorry dnf, this is a reply to Stuarts post.

@DNF … the windfarm to the east of Cemmaes?

If so then, yes there are ways up there.

is following tyre tracks acceptable 😉

@ Ian B

EBB now suitably greased, will give it a spin to see how quiet it is. I’ve ordered a Bushnell EBB which arrives tomorrow just in case! I’ve got 32:20 on the bike at the mo which is equivalent to the 34:20 that I ran on the 26″ bike last year, which I thought was spot on. Bike and kit is lighter this year however the contours also appear much closer. I bought a 21T sprocket for the event but haven’t fitted it as I need to make my chain longer, What d’ya reckon. I’ve got used to riding the wrong gear as I did the Kielder 100 last year with my 2:1 rato on the 26″ and spent about 90% of the time in too tall a gear :oops:.

BTW my route also takes me through Penrhyn Dyfi and Maesywerngoch

looking good that I will be rolling 29er’s for the first time this weekend – wish me luck 😯

You have a 29er now…you don’t need luck 🙂

I hope not will be a great test to see if I like them or a complete ball ache if not 😉

35:22, 26″ wheel for me.

Cheers, I’m using the wind farm as descent, looks like there are 4×4 roads through it.

27 gears for me and 26″ wheels 😥

Our route is about 90 miles, 16k ft of climbing, gets everything bar the one at the top of Tarren Hendre, with lots of options and 7 pubs en-route.

We were even debating whether we need to carry anything bar breakfast as we could probably do pub lunches/dinners every day 🙂

@Pete … Steve’ll be on a 29er before long. I gave him a go on my monster crosser. Oddly even though it’s a rigid, singlespeed 29er with drops he seemed to like it 😉

So, have just gunned it up and down the local steep hill and………………all quiet…anyone want to buy a Bushnell EBB? 😀

I might Paul .. I hate the one in my Sanderson, must be the worst design for an EBB I’ve ever seen.

@ Pete/Stu -I’m not sure about this 29er lark – can I really justify a 4th bike? (I think I know the kind of answer I’ll get to that!!) Saying that – I have been looking out for a 29er inbred!
My biggest worry is that Pete will no longer be carrying any spare tubes for me to use when I have my 5th, 6th and 7th punctures!!

Aye, ’tis true Steve … 29″ tubes will just give you more room for punctures 😉

Steve at this rate I’ll be running 26″ tubes any how if they don’t turn up tomorrow, I’ve got a patch kit so we’ll be fine 😉

Alfa, I’m going to go with 32:21. Quite a bit of climbing on this one I think and I’m thinking of my legs (which haven’t had much exercise lately) will be thankful come Monday.

Pete, 26″ tubes will be fine – they stretch a bit and that’s what I’m carrying 🙂

Thanks for that Ian I thought they would, I’ll carry a couple just to cover Steve 😉

OK, I’ve sorted out my stuff. Now I’ve got to put it all back into the drybags and take a piccie of it all on my bike 🙂

Link to photo with 23 added notes here!…..

WRT Gear Show

We have a custom map again, route is drawn on. But I am unlikely to be there 🙁 Injuried my thumb tuesday night and can’t grip the bars at the moment….really want to do it though!

Kit list so far…

Camping stuff

Laser Photon Tent
Thermarest Prolite rollmat
Sleeplight 750 sleeping bag
Hi Gear silk bag liner
Head torch
Life venture towel

That’s pretty much it… clothes for biking… thermals for not biking.

How likely is it to do all eating in pubs?

I’ll say, all eating in pubs is unlikely but you should be able to stock up on cold food (junk) along the way and carry it with you.

Eating in pubs depends on your route and times. The small pubs in Wales arnt always open and serving food.

I’m basing my route on that as a plan A with a small amount of back up food.

Machynlleth for early dinner on the sat
Dolgellau for breakfast sun
Cemmaes for sun dinner (may be a bit posh)

One of the guys I’m riding with is bringing a small stove.
So I did buy some cous cous and chorizio for something hot.
5x snickers
5x nature valley bars
muesli
malt loaf
dried fruit and nuts

Hoping to stock up each day really to save weight.

Hoping to get a mealo or two on the way but not relying on that due to the fact food service times may not fit in with actual arrival times at these establishments.

But Dominoes deliver right??? 😉

Awesome… one 12″ meat feast pizza to the guy camping up on the hill please.

one 12″ meat feast pizza to the guy camping up on the hill please.

One 12″ meat pizza? Yer soft Southern Yeti bastard. Are you only doing a couple of checkpoints a day or something? Prince William’s shipping my hillside takeaway in from somewhere off Anglesey. The Duchess of Cambridge’s going to be a bit busy in the kitchen come Saturday evening 😉

bastard

oooh… you know me so well.

Is there a competitive cake eating element to the WRT? I’ll see you in Machynlleth at high tea noon.

Latest weather looks a bit windy at Macnynlleth but not much rain!

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/wl/machynlleth_forecast_weather.html

add in the fact it’s a not much above sea level going to be a blustery evening in the tent on the hills 😀

I’ll see you in Machynlleth at high tea noon.

WRT = Welsh Riot Thing then 😉

Unfortunately, knowing my navigational skills in woodland situations I’ll still be floundering around in circles not far from the startline come tea time 😉

yes looking ok maybe an odd shower but not as bad as predicted a couple of weeks back – tarp it is then 😀

http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/Wales/Machynlleth~2643251/long.html